Webinar replay: Made in America, Powered by Tech: Is U.S. Manufacturing Ready to Scale?

In this hourlong webinar sponsored by Integris, Joe Fetter and Bryan Wheeler of Integris joined Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl to bring their knowledge to a discussion about the realities of the reshoring movement and the technological readiness of U.S. manufacturers to respond.

Scott Achelpohl

Sept. 12, 2025

2 min read

What you'll learn:

Examines the technological readiness of U.S. manufacturers to meet modern production demands.
Highlights the impact of automation, AI, and data on transforming factory operations.
Addresses workforce shortages and strategies to bridge the tech and labor gap.
Provides practical steps for manufacturers to accelerate digital transformation efforts.
Showcases industry leaders' initiatives to future-proof manufacturing in the U.S.

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After decades of globalization, the call is louder now than ever to bring manufacturing back to U.S. soil—but this webinar sought to answer the question of whether America’s manufacturing sector could meet the moment.

Joe Fetter, director of sales at Integris, and Bryan Wheeler, customer experience manager for the company, which sponsored the program, joined Smart Industry Head of Content Scott Achelpohl to explore the technological readiness of U.S. manufacturers to produce their goods more efficiently, competitively, and sustainably.

Register and watch a replay of this webinar.

The webinar was part of the Digital Transformation Academy series, a product of Smart Industry in partnership with sister brand IndustryWeek.

Fetter and Wheeler spoke on the shortcomings in digital adoption, automation, smart factory infrastructure, and skilled labor—but where forward-thinking manufacturers should go next to strengthen their operations and make U.S. manufacturing stronger.

This session covered:

The current state of U.S. manufacturing technology adoption
How automation, AI and data are transforming the factory floor
Challenges and solutions in bridging the tech and workforce gap
What industry leaders are doing to future-proof their operations
Practical steps to accelerate your technology readiness

About the Author

Scott Achelpohl

I've come to Smart Industry after stints in business-to-business journalism covering U.S. trucking and transportation for FleetOwner, a sister website and magazine of SI’s at Endeavor Business Media, and branches of the U.S. military for Navy League of the United States. I'm a graduate of the University of Kansas and the William Allen White School of Journalism with many years of media experience inside and outside B2B journalism. I'm a wordsmith by nature, and I edit Smart Industry and report and write all kinds of news and interactive media on the digital transformation of manufacturing.